Broadband News

BT hope Sky Sports is coming to BT Vision

BT are hedging their
bets on a decision from Ofcom on whether Sky will be forced to reduce the
cost of their premium content such as Sky Sports and Sky Movies when sold to
other providers on a wholesale basis. Currently, these channels are only
available via a Sky or Virgin subscription package, and are quite costly.
Virgin are thought to actually lose money on them with current costs at an
average of £20.72.

Ofcom's board are to meet soon to discuss the price at which Sky can sell
these channels and is expected to release a report at the end of March that
will detail its decision. BT are hoping the price will fall and it will be able
to sell Sky Sports at a price in the "mid teens", a large discount over the
current £25.50 for Sky Sports 1 direct from Sky, or £34.50 for all 4 Sky Sports
channels.

Any price reductions will be good for consumer choice, but also good for BT
as they are now allowed to market bundled packages including telephone lines,
broadband and TV to customers as a triple play service. Getting more premium
content such as Premiership Football from the Sky Sports channels should help
them increase their BT Vision customers from around 436,000 up in to the
millions that they desires.

"We are looking at a range of scenarios at the moment. I wouldn't want to
give too much away but suffice to say we want to make it very attractive to
customers.

"At the moment, if you are an avid sports fan you can really only buy sports
on the so-called buy-through model – you effectively have to buy basic
programming and then premium sports on top. That isn't good for customers; it
doesn't give them choice. We believe that many of our customers really want
access to premium sports but they don't necessarily want all the basic channels
you have to get there."

Gavin Patterson, (Chief Executive) BT Retail

Sky are obviously planning to fight any decision that will go against them,
with talk of legal action if they are forced to reduce wholesale prices, but BT
hopes it will all be sorted out in time for the next football season in
August.

Comments

So should someone else.

"and Sky Movies..."

whatever2

over 7 years ago

This is stupid, if you force sky to charge other providers less they will just refuse to sell to them at all, which legally they are perfectly entitled to do. Im no fan of sky or their prices, but if they are forced to supply at a fixed lower cost then channels that are on freesat but not on sky (yes there are a few) should also be forced to allow them on the sky platform

Oh and can a staffer delete ETEEs million enter presses.

CARPETBURN

over 7 years ago

I would expect reduced pricing from BT vision as its a lower quality offering. It will be interesting to see what they come up with though. As unlike Sky they force you to take their own broadband. They both have minimum terms in place. Is a BT vision box any use to ex-subscribers or is it just a dud?

mishminx

over 7 years ago

@CB

You can get the 'unique' freesat channels on sky if you find the channel info you can manually input it.

I added ITV HD like that.

otester

over 7 years ago

Sky Sports is also carried on TalkTalk TV (formerly Tiscali TV) at £22.50 pm for one channel see here http://www.talktalk.co.uk/products/tvextra/sports.html?code=ZZ-NL-12WK so it is wrong to say that sky premium content is only available on Virgin and sky.

Sorry if this is off-message but it is true.

@CARPETBURN Ofcom are regulating sky premium content by forcing them to sell wholesale at fixed prices like they did with Openreach. And thank you for your kind comments where mine do not agree with your sentiments.

ETEE

over 7 years ago

Is Sky Movies then?

"premium content such as Sky Sports ***and Sky Movies***"

whatever2

over 7 years ago

quote"@CARPETBURN Ofcom are regulating sky premium content by forcing them to sell wholesale at fixed prices like they did with Openreach."

What does the telecomms market have to do with TV services?

CARPETBURN

over 7 years ago

"What does the telecomms market have to do with TV services?" Monopoly.

"up in to the millions that they desires." Someone should edit the article.

If I could get Freeview, I would just buy a PVR for £40 from Maplin, and carry on watching the sport down the pub.

offcs

over 7 years ago

So Ofcom are stepping in to reduce prices and increase consumer choice. Now where have they done that before?

Ah yes, broadband.

That turned out well didn't it? Huge choice, low price, crap service and insufficient investment.

Way to go, Ofcom.

AndrueC

over 7 years ago

quote "What does the telecomms market have to do with TV services"

They were/are both monopolies and subject to EU monopoly law.

ETEE

over 7 years ago

^^^ Rubbish, Sky TV is available via dish, cable and other services.

CARPETBURN

over 7 years ago

Ofcom policy seems to be to have a bargian basement mass user low quality product. They cant think past head count.

chrysalis

over 7 years ago

i think there's more chance of you feeling the queens knockers than sky letting anybody else not just BT have rights to show sports in hd and it's a shame because it would make them a fortune ..money that could be used to deploy more fibre

2doorsbob

over 7 years ago

quote"...it's a shame because it would make them a fortune ..money that could be used to deploy more fibre."

Make who a fortune? Who would deploy more fibre?

CARPETBURN

over 7 years ago

Sorry carpet i was just considering if sky let other companys air sports and even movies in hd how much money it would rake in ..money that could be used to improve there own network ..i'm very supprised sky have not made plans to create there own fibre to cab network

2doorsbob

over 7 years ago

Surely that would mean they make less money if OFCOM set a maximum fee they could charge other companies? Also if Sky had competition that may be good for us but for them it would be bad as people could choose.

To be honest though i dont see why Sky should be forced into allowing BT or any other company access to Sky services, if thats going to happen BT Visions ondemand service and TopupTVs service should also be made available to other companies. From what i can see its just BT whinging again, hopefully OFCOM will say no and tell them to develop their own TV services, just like Sky had to.

CARPETBURN

over 7 years ago

I hate everything from NEWS International Group ( Murdoch / Sky) due to all their activities since Fleet Street was destroyed by them.
But why should a Satellite broadcaster give up rights they have paid for, to others at a lot less than they sell it for themselves directly?

hairyman

over 7 years ago

Why would they be interested in putting in fibre at ten/hundreds of billions cost when they can put up a satellite for a few hundred million and users spend little more than the cost of a wired twisted pair type broadband router to get a dish and at box which then gives nearly 100% coverage without messing about down holes in the ground.

hairyman

over 7 years ago

quote"But why should a Satellite broadcaster give up rights they have paid for, to others at a lot less than they sell it for themselves directly?"

Exactly, if the BBC, ITV, BT or anyone else wants the content sky has, all they have to do is outbid them, BT wants sky sports probably for the footy, out bid sky and you can have it.

CARPETBURN

over 7 years ago

You all seem to know what you are talking about
I don't have a clue really what it's all about
All I would like someone to tell me is how to get the best deal for Broadband, Phone, Sky sports channels only, and line rental from one supplier. I am with Talk Talk at the moment paying £12-99 for free broadband, because BT won't let then into their Exchange. LESLIEHJ